


Spectrum

by 46hasu



Series: Linked Universe AU [16]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Colors, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Platonic Soulmates, not a lot of angst but its there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:06:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/46hasu/pseuds/46hasu
Summary: Not even the flow of time can stop two soulmates from meeting each other and seeing a whole new world.
Relationships: Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe AU [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627771
Comments: 19
Kudos: 311





	Spectrum

**Author's Note:**

> When I saw my WIPs, I realized that most of it was angst (mostly Even If I Forgot) and wanted some fluff with one of my favorite tropes I never had too much idea to write until now.

Link can’t see colors. He had been told that someday he would meet the one who would make the world more vibrant with a simple touch. That someday being in the near or far future and that somebody is his soulmate. 

Despite being so complicated and hard to understand, everyone knew of soulmates and colors. Some fall in love with their soul mates and get married. Others accept their soulmates as a part of the family. 

“What kind of color is green?” Link asked Uli one day. 

“The color of life,” she answered with dreamy eyes. 

He couldn’t imagine what she meant as he twisted the grass in his hands. 

“How about red?” He asked Ilia soon after they turned thirteen. 

“The color of sunset and sunrise,” Ilia tried to explain. “The color of that bird. It ranges in so many shades. Each leaving you with a different emotion.” 

He stared at the bird, wondering how it will make him emotional. 

“Blue?” 

Midna looked up at the evening sky. “Vast and never-ending. It’s soothing but if you drop your guard, it can sweep you away.” 

Even if he wasn’t able to see the colors, Link thought the sky was very beautiful. 

“Yellow?”

“The color of the sun,” Zelda said, smoothly. “Leaves you warm and a little hungry.” 

He shut his eyes and let the sun warm him up. He could almost understand what Zelda meant. 

And when he opened his eyes, he was sitting in an unfamiliar place as a wolf. His heart lurched in panic as he spun around to scan his surroundings. 

There wasn’t civilization insight. The air smelt a little off as well. 

Well, he wasn’t going to figure out where he was by just sitting around. He rose from his hunches and followed the nearest path. 

* * *

Link slowly lowered his head to appear nonthreatening to the kid. But the kid didn’t relent as he held up his spear higher, wary eyes tracking Link’s every move. 

It was a fair reaction, judging from the wolf shaped bite mark on the kid’s exposed arm. Poor thing probably didn’t take proper precautions against the wild wolves roaming the area. But the determined gaze showed that he had no intention of repeating that mistake.

If he could, he would turn back into a Hylian and comfort the kid. But for some Goddess damned reason, he couldn’t. 

Link slowly lied on the dirt ground and rolled to expose his stomach. He had no intention of harming the kid if he could help it. The dirty hair and the worn clothes reminded him of the kids back in Ordon. 

The kid slowly lowered his spear and extended a free hand towards Link. He remained absolutely still as the kid approached him closer, eyes still wary but curious now. 

His tail started to wag without his control as the kid slowly sat down next to him. He took no pleasure in being treated like a pet dog but it has been weeks since he last had friendly physical contact. 

The slowly brushed the fur on Link’s stomach before letting his hands sink in for a friendly pat. Link felt his tail wag harder as he slowly closed his eyes in a relaxed trance.

He heard a sharp gasp from the kid just as he was starting to doze off. Link looked up, expecting a rogue monster or another traveler in need of help. But he was greeted by a bright new world. 

The grass next to him has taken on a new hue and the looming mountains had new shades that he has never seen before. He heard a loud whoop from the kid and turned to see him throwing his whole body on the grass. Stains appeared on his tunic and pants but the kid only looked at them with fascination. 

The kid looked up to Link with a toothy grin. His excited eyes matching the hue of the sky. “It’s a whole new world.” 

Link continued to stare at the kid, still processing what he was seeing. 

“Look at this,” the kid shouted in joy, holding up a flower. “It looks even prettier now.” 

Link stared down at the flower, it’s petals matched the kid's hair well. 

“Are these colors?” The kid breathed in wonder. 

Colors. 

Link’s heart beat faster at the word. He was seeing colors. 

Joy escaped him in barks and yaps as he jumped up in excitement. _He was seeing colors_. 

The kid next to him whooped again at Link’s excited barks. They both rolled on the green grass, sniffed the vibrant flowers, and gazed at the blue sky. 

Calmness eventually settled on to Link as the sunset. He gazed at the red coloring, feeling some odd sadness mixed with nostalgia. 

He felt a hand come to his head again and looked to the kid sitting next to him. 

“I should probably come up with a name to call you,” he said. “I am Link by the way.” 

Link looked at the kid, understanding dawning on him. His soulmate was the next Hero that the goddesses have chosen. He thought of the old Hero’s Shade, guiding him on his quest. A resolve came to Link as he stood up and nudged the new hero. He will guide this one for his quest and ensure his safety just as his mentor did for him. How hard can it be?

* * *

It was hard. 

He tried to keep his involvement to a minimum but soon found that to be impossible. The new hero was reckless as he was courageous. Link lost the number of times his heart stopped as he watched the young one throw himself into dangerous battles and risky situations. 

Even if the situation wasn’t dangerous, he still found himself getting involved as much as possible. Whether it was something complicated nightmares or something simple as preparing a meal, Link couldn’t stay still and do nothing. 

But despite the difficulties, he enjoyed every moment he spent with his soulmate. The nights were the huddle next to each for warmth were his personal favorite past times. The cub would talk about the various colors in random objects as Link listened. He had been repeatedly told that colors came in so many different shades and hues but he still found himself surprised at the wide variety. 

Whenever he grew bored, he often compared his feelings to a wide variety of colors he saw. The moments where they huddle together in the campfire were golden yellow. Watching the cub getting hurt, he thought, were pale green. Hearing hyrulians mutter about the failed hero was a flash of hot red. 

And the hardest moment of his mentoring was letting Link go into the castle alone to face Ganon. He knew that he couldn’t help Link anymore and he seemed to know that as well. The cub leaned down and gave Link one more pat on the head before entering the castle gate by himself. 

That moment, Link determined, was cold monotonous gray. 

* * *

One thing that no one talked about concerning soulmates was when the world becomes colorless again. No one liked talking about it because of what it meant but everyone knew anyway. It meant your soulmate is now deceased. 

Link felt his heart drop to his stomach as he noticed how the world returned to its gray coloring when he arrived home. A part of Link hoped he couldn’t see colors again because the cub was not yet born. Another grim part of him thought that the kid really did perish during his last stand against Ganon again. 

Despite the fact he was chosen by the Goddesses and witnessed miracles, he never bothered to pray until now. Every night before sleep stole him away, he silently pleaded the deities and spirits for his soulmate’s safety. 

“Please,” Link silently murmured. “He’s my brother. _Please_.”

They gave him no answer. 

* * *

One of the heroes sighed in frustration at the unfamiliar land. “Anyone know where we are?” 

There was a chorus of “no” and “I don’t know” as Twilight scanned the horizon. It seemed so familiar. Hope fluttered in his heart as he slowly realized where the ragtag group of heroes were. 

“I think,” he started, “I know where we are.” 

Before anyone could ask, an arrow landed in front of his foot. He heard the heroes quickly draw their weapons and take defensive forms. But Twilight didn’t feel the same concern.

“Link?” he called to the trees. “I know you’re there.” 

There was a rustle of leaves as a scrappy teenager in a dark Hylian hood dropped in front of him. 

Twilight felt a smile grow on his face at the sight of the Hero. “You did succeed after all.” 

The new hero looked warily at Twilight. “Did I know you before…?”

“No,” Twilight waved his hand. “Sometime after that actually.”

Twilight held up his hand at the confused hero. “My name is Link but you can call me Twilight.” 

The cub slowly accepted his hand at the introduction. “You already know my -- _oh_.”

The colors flooded back to Twilight the moment Link’s hand touched his. Blue eyes stared at Twilight in wonder and excitement. 

“It’s you,” Link breathed out. 

Twilight smiled wider at the hero. “It’s been too long, Link.” 

He watched Link laugh as he launched himself to his arms. Twilight hugged his soulmate, laughter bubbling out of him as well. 

“I missed you so much,” he heard Link mutter, face buried in his fur pelt. 

“I missed you too,” Twilight said, running a finger through his blonde hair and holding him tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Feedback are appreciated!


End file.
